With a potential NFL lockout coming, two health-related impacts loom large for players. The first is the possible loss of health care benefits (Patriots’ OL Matt Light raises an excellent non-game-related example of how this affects players personally). The other is that players who are rehabbing from injury will not have access to team facilities beginning March 4. This article looks at who on the Colts’ team this is likely to affect most.

By the end of the season, approximately 22 Colts were suffering or recovering from serious injury. Most of those players were already on IR, and a few (like WR Reggie Wayne) played through injury for several weeks. Below are the players who will likely still be in process rehabbing and will probably need access to team facilities. I’ve taken a very high-level guess at when I think they will have returned to full health and any extenuating circumstances:

Devin Moore is an interesting case. He suffered a brachial plexus injury on October 3, and was immediately put on IR. It’s unclear whether the team did so to free up his roster spot, or whether the injury was too severe to overcome. I assume that Moore might still need access to team facilities, but if he’s still not healed after 5 months, I fear this means the worst for his career. I suspect the following players will not likely need access to the facilities:

Player

Injury

Injured Date (2010)

Projected Healthy Date (2011)

Notes

A.Collie

Concussion

Nov 7, Nov 21, Dec 19

Unknown

Likely just needs rest; would need access only to pass concussion tests

R.Diem*

Back

Jan 2 (2011)

Apr 1

Probably just needs rest

A.Johnson*

Chest

Jan 2 (2011)

Mar 1

Johnson was able to participate in practice on a limited basis prior to the playoff game, so this is not likely a long-term injury

B.King

Hamstring

Nov 17

Jan 1

When King was placed on IR, it was said his injury was not severe enough to keep him out for the season, but the team needed the roster spot.

M.Newton*

Hamstring

Jan 1

Apr 1

Pure speculation, as no information was released regarding Newton’s injury

B.Sanders

Torn biceps

Sep 12

Feb 1

Sanders spent a good portion of the season rehabbing in California; I expect him to return there for the rest of his recovery

R.Wayne*

Knee

Unknown

Unknown

Always goes to Miami during the offseason

* = not on IR Finally, the following players had been waived/injured, meaning that the Colts were willing to allow another team to acquire them before placing them on IR. It is reasonable to think that the team will release these players at the end of the season, in which case they would not have access to the facilities in any case. One name that surprises me on this list is Silva, but it is difficult to expect him to return to form as special teams ace after he suffered a torn ACL.

Player

Injury

Injured Date (2010)

Projected Healthy Date (2011)

Notes

D.Caldwell

Shoulder

Aug 14

Unknown

T.Santi

Undisclosed

Aug 2

Unknown

J.Silva

Torn ACL

Aug 17

Aug 1

B.Swenson

Undisclosed

Jul 28

Unknown

Analysis: What sticks out for me is that a number of key starters (Clark, Hayden, Powers) could be without access to team facilities during their recovery. As professional athletes, all of these men are certain to be preparing for this possibility, such as by adapting a plan for home rehab or getting treatment from another facility. But the break in continuity cannot be overlooked.